Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' R. I. HAMPTON.

GAR GOUPLING.- N0.l401,160. PatentedApr. 9, 1889.

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UNITED STATES ROBERT ISBELIJ HAMPTON, OF ATHENS, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 401,160, dated April 9,1889.

Application filed July 25, 1888. Serial No. 281,013. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, ROBERT ISBELL HAMP- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Athens, in the county of Clarke and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to car-couplings.

The object is to produce a device by means of which cars may beautomatically coupled upon coming together, thereby obviating thenecessity of the presence of a person between the cars and consequentendangerment of life and limb.

The invention resides in the novel construction for coupler-head andcoacting link and its operating devices, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures, Figure l repre sents aperspective view of one of my coupler-heads or draw-heads withcoupling-link in position ready for coupling. Fig. 2 represents acentral horizontal section of the same, the coupling-link being inposition Within a coupler-head similarly formed. Fig. 3 representsa-perspective view of a coupler-head or drawhead and coupler-dink,showing the position occupied by the coupling-link When in engagementwith another couplerfhead, and Fig. 4 represents a plan view of thesame.

In the drawings, the coupler-head or draW- head is designated by A, andhas an enlarged interior opening, recess, or chamber, Ct, and a mouth,a', the sides d2 of which are inclined, so that the rear end of themouth is narrower than its forward end, thus forming a narrow throatWith curving shoulders c3.

Leading rearward from the interior opening or chamber, a, is a passage,c, extending through the side, terminating in an opening, a5, throughthe bottom, and on one side of the passage ai is formed a projection orshoulder, a6. Above the opening a5, on one side of the draw-head, is alatch, di.

The coupling-link is designated by the letter B, and has at one end anenlarged flattened head, Zi, with a hole through it, its opposite endhaving an arm or lever, b', preferably Weighted and adapted to be turnedup or down in the opening ai. By turningy this lever the head l) isturned, and, when in engagement with a couplerhead formed as shown, willbe broughtto bear against-its shoulders dfi, preventing withdrawal.

A shoulder or taper, b2, is also formed upon the coupler-link B byreducing the shank, but the shoulder is not intended to engage thedraw-head during draft, the Whole of the draft at the rear end beingAthrown upon the right-angled lever. At the extreme inner end of thecouplinglink may be placed a spring, b3, serving to force thecoupling-link forward While uneoupling; but instead of the spring' I mayprovide the rear of the opening a5 with a cam-face, in which case thelatch a? may be dispensed with.

A portion of the coupling-link is cut away, as shown at b4, in order topermit vertical movement of the coupling-link when necessary. Vhen thecoupling-link is set in position for coupling, the lever is raised toahorizontal position, as shown in Fig. l, the spring b3 or cam-faceforcing it forward into position against the lug or shoulder a, thelatch when used, preventing the lever from being raised too high andpassing over the shoulder op. Upon the cars coming together the frontend of the link comes in contact With the rear of the recess or chamberin the opposite draw-head, forcing the lever back out of engagement withthe shoulder c, its weight causing it to fall to a vertical position andto turn the enlarged head Yithin the opposite draw-head. i

It- Will be seen that the coupling is accomplished entirely Without theaid of hand, the uncoupling being accomplished by raising the lever intoproper position.

lVhile but one coupler of each pair is provided With a coupling-link,all of the couplerheads are similarly constructed.

The coupling-link may be applied to any coupler-head or draw-head in afew seconds. The link is provided at its outer end with a hole, asshown, so that it may be coupled to an ordinary coupling by simplyintroducing the link into a draw-head and inserting the ordinarycoupling-pin. The shock caused by the cars being brought together istaken up by the buffer-spring C, which is suitably IOO mounted inCross-pieces c in the frame of the ear in which the rear end of thedraw-head is mounted. The Vspring also serves to prevent any shook tothe car in starting, as the force of the start comes upon the spring.

Having thus fully described my invention7 what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with zt draw-head having an oblong mouth with inclinedsides leading into a larger interior opening provided with the lug orshoulder forming ft seat, of the Coupling-link provided with theWeighted 1ever designed to rest against the lug or shoulder when in anuneoupled positiomend to drop und turn the coupling-link to bring it tothe position of Coupling, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT ISBELL HAMPTON. Titnessesz G. A. MELL, A. L. HULL.

